BUAV LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN ADVERT TO SAVE THE MONKEYS OF MAURITIUS

18/10/2013

The BUAV Save our Monkeys campaign is launching an eye catching advert as part of its campaign to raise awareness about the Pre-Clinical Research Bill which, if adopted, will promote the practice of animal experimentation in Mauritius. The Bill is due to be presented to the Parliament.

The advert will appear in the weekend editions of the Le Defi and 5 Plus newspapers, highlighting the ‘Save our Monkeys’ campaign and the likely impact the legislation will have for animals; in particular the country’s population of long-tailed macaque which is likely to be the main species used in research facilities in Mauritius.

The advert features a picture of a distressed monkey inside a laboratory with the message: ‘If the Government has its way, this could be happening to monkeys here in Mauritius.’

BUAV Chief Executive Michelle Thew stated: ‘There is already growing national and international awareness and concern surrounding the breeding and export of monkeys from Mauritius. The establishment of primate testing facilities in Mauritius will simply encourage further use of these animals. If the pre-clinical research bill is implemented, this will not only mean the infliction of additional suffering for the primates in Mauritius as they will now be subjected to research and testing, it will also reflect negatively and will have a detrimental impact on Mauritius’s image abroad.’